ICAS Assessment — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is the value of 5 + 3?

6
7
8 (Correct answer)
9

Correct answer: 8

This is a basic arithmetic addition problem. When you add 5 and 3 together, you combine their quantities. Counting 5 items and then adding 3 more items results in a total of 8 items.

Question 2: If 3a + 7 = 28, what is 2a?

14 (Correct answer)
10
21
7

Correct answer: 14

Subtract 7: 3a = 21, so a = 7, and 2a = 14.

Question 3: Which programming concept allows a function to call itself?

Recursion (Correct answer)
Abstraction
Inheritance
Iteration

Correct answer: Recursion

Recursion is the technique where a function calls itself as part of its own definition to solve a problem.

Question 4: What does 'phishing' refer to in cybersecurity?

A fraudulent attempt to steal sensitive information by pretending to be a trusted source (Correct answer)
A technique to speed up internet connections
A method of backing up data
A type of encryption

Correct answer: A fraudulent attempt to steal sensitive information by pretending to be a trusted source

Phishing is a cyberattack where criminals disguise themselves as trustworthy entities to trick people into revealing passwords or financial information.

Question 5: Choose the correct spelling of the plural form of 'leaf'.

leafs
leeves
leafs
leaves (Correct answer)

Correct answer: leaves

Words ending in '-f' or '-fe' typically change to '-ves' in the plural, so 'leaf' becomes 'leaves'.

Question 6: Which data type would you use to store the value 3.14 in most programming languages?

float (Correct answer)
boolean
string
integer

Correct answer: float

A float (floating-point) data type stores decimal numbers like 3.14.

Question 7: What is the value of the expression: 5 + 3 × 2² − 4 ÷ 2?

11
17
15 (Correct answer)
13

Correct answer: 15

Using order of operations: 3 × 4 = 12, 4 ÷ 2 = 2, then 5 + 12 − 2 = 15.

Question 8: In a story, the setting is described as 'a crumbling, fog-covered mansion on a dark hilltop.' What mood does this setting create?

Eerie and mysterious (Correct answer)
Peaceful and calming
Exciting and adventurous
Cheerful and welcoming

Correct answer: Eerie and mysterious

Words like 'crumbling,' 'fog-covered,' and 'dark' create an eerie and mysterious mood.

Question 9: In a spreadsheet, what does a formula beginning with '=' do?

Performs a calculation or operation (Correct answer)
Formats the cell color
Saves the spreadsheet
Sorts the column

Correct answer: Performs a calculation or operation

In spreadsheet software, a formula beginning with '=' instructs the program to calculate or process data in that cell.

Question 10: Which word is formed correctly by adding '-ness' to 'happy'?

happiness (Correct answer)
happyness
happines
hapiness

Correct answer: happiness

When adding '-ness' to a word ending in 'y', change the 'y' to 'i': 'happy' → 'happiness'.

Question 11: A student reads: 'Maria carefully added the final ingredient. The mixture hissed and changed from a dull grey to a vibrant, glowing green. A smile spread across her face; after weeks of research, her hypothesis was correct.' What can you infer from this text?

The experiment was dangerous and uncontrolled.
Maria has created a new type of cleaning solution.
Maria has successfully completed an experiment she has been working on for some time. (Correct answer)
Maria is a professional chemist working in a laboratory.

Correct answer: Maria has successfully completed an experiment she has been working on for some time.

The text states Maria spent 'weeks of research' and her 'hypothesis was correct,' which directly supports the idea of a successful, long-term experiment. We cannot infer her profession, the specific nature of the mixture, or that it was dangerous; these are assumptions without evidence. The inference must be based on the clues provided in the text, such as her smile and the confirmation of her hypothesis.

Question 12: A nonfiction article uses a table comparing the speeds of different animals. What is the main purpose of including this table?

To allow readers to compare information quickly and clearly (Correct answer)
To replace the written explanation in the article
To provide the author's opinion on which animal is fastest
To make the article look more visually appealing

Correct answer: To allow readers to compare information quickly and clearly

Tables organize comparative data visually, making it easier for readers to identify and compare information at a glance.

Question 13: The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Human activities have significantly altered this cycle. Which human activity is the primary contributor to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Large-scale commercial fishing operations.
The burning of fossil fuels for energy. (Correct answer)
The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in agriculture.
The disposal of plastic waste in landfills.

Correct answer: The burning of fossil fuels for energy.

Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are ancient carbon stores. When humans burn them for electricity, transportation, and industry, this stored carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas. This is the main driver of the observed increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

Question 14: Which of the following is a question?

We are ready
He went home
Are you okay? (Correct answer)
I am fine

Correct answer: Are you okay?

A question is a sentence that asks for information or clarification and typically ends with a question mark. 'Are you okay?' is structured as an interrogative sentence, beginning with an auxiliary verb and seeking a response. The other options are declarative statements that provide information.

Question 15: What is the next term in the pattern: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ___?

24
18
21 (Correct answer)
16

Correct answer: 21

Each term is the sum of the two preceding terms (Fibonacci): 8 + 13 = 21.

Question 16: A Venn diagram compares mammals and birds. The overlapping section contains 'warm-blooded.' What does the overlapping section represent?

Traits unique to birds only
Traits found in neither group
Traits shared by both groups (Correct answer)
Traits unique to mammals only

Correct answer: Traits shared by both groups

The overlapping section of a Venn diagram always represents characteristics shared by both groups.

Question 17: What does HTML stand for?

High Tech Machine Language
Hyperlink and Text Mode Language
Home Tool Management Language
HyperText Markup Language (Correct answer)

Correct answer: HyperText Markup Language

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, the standard language used to create web pages.

Question 18: A recipe needs 2/3 cup of sugar. If you triple the recipe, how much sugar is needed?

1 1/3 cups
2 cups (Correct answer)
3 cups
1 cup

Correct answer: 2 cups

2/3 × 3 = 6/3 = 2 cups.

Question 19: A student sets up an experiment with two identical plants. One receives water daily, the other does not. What is the independent variable?

The growth of the plants
The type of soil used
The amount of sunlight each plant receives
Whether or not the plant receives water (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Whether or not the plant receives water

The independent variable is the factor deliberately changed by the experimenter — in this case, whether the plant receives water.

Question 20: Which of the following is an example of a compound sentence?

Running fast, he crossed the finish line.
Although it was cold, she went swimming.
I wanted to go, so I bought a ticket. (Correct answer)
The sun rose over the mountains.

Correct answer: I wanted to go, so I bought a ticket.

'I wanted to go, so I bought a ticket' is a compound sentence — two independent clauses joined by 'so.'

Question 21: Which of the following is a chemical change rather than a physical change?

Ice melting into water
Wood burning in a fire (Correct answer)
Glass shattering into pieces
Sugar dissolving in tea

Correct answer: Wood burning in a fire

Burning wood is a chemical change because it produces new substances (ash, carbon dioxide, and water vapor) that cannot easily be reversed.

Question 22: Which sentence contains a relative clause?

The book that I borrowed was excellent. (Correct answer)
She runs every morning before school.
He quickly finished his dinner.
The cat sat and patiently waited.

Correct answer: The book that I borrowed was excellent.

'That I borrowed' is a relative clause beginning with 'that,' providing more detail about the book.

Question 23: A table shows that three soil samples have the following pH levels: Sample A=6.2, Sample B=7.0, Sample C=7.8. Which sample is most acidic?

Sample C
Sample B
They are equally acidic
Sample A (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Sample A

Lower pH values indicate greater acidity, so Sample A at pH 6.2 is most acidic.

Question 24: If y = 2x − 7 and x = 5, what is y?

7
−3
17
3 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 3

Substitute x = 5: y = 2(5) − 7 = 10 − 7 = 3.

Question 25: Which device is used to input information into a computer?

Printer (Correct answer)
Speaker
Monitor
Keyboard

Correct answer: Printer

While a standalone printer is primarily an output device, many modern printers are multifunction devices that integrate scanning capabilities. A scanner is an input device that captures physical documents or images and converts them into digital data, which is then 'input' into the computer. Therefore, in the context of a multifunction device, a 'printer' can indeed facilitate the input of information.

Question 26: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:

The team are winning the game.
Each of the students have a pencil.
Every cat and dog needs a home. (Correct answer)
Neither of the answers are correct.

Correct answer: Every cat and dog needs a home.

When 'every' precedes a compound subject joined by 'and,' a singular verb is used.

Question 27: When a text is written in first-person point of view, which pronoun is most commonly used?

He or she
They or them
You or your
I or we (Correct answer)

Correct answer: I or we

First-person point of view uses 'I' or 'we,' meaning the narrator is telling the story from their own perspective.

Question 28: Read: 'The new policy was met with a storm of protest from the community.' What literary device is used here?

Personification
Alliteration
Metaphor (Correct answer)
Simile

Correct answer: Metaphor

'A storm of protest' is a metaphor comparing strong protest to a storm without using 'like' or 'as.'

Question 29: Fossils are most commonly found in which type of rock?

Sedimentary (Correct answer)
Metamorphic
Igneous
Volcanic

Correct answer: Sedimentary

Sedimentary rocks form from layers of sediment that can trap and preserve the remains of organisms, creating fossils.

Question 30: Consider the following sequence of instructions: 1. SET a TO 5 2. SET b TO 10 3. SET a TO a + b 4. SET b TO a - b After all instructions are executed, what is the final value of 'b'?

10
15
5 (Correct answer)
0

Correct answer: 5

1. 'a' is 5. 2. 'b' is 10. 3. 'a' becomes its current value (5) plus 'b' (10), so 'a' is now 15. 4. 'b' becomes the new value of 'a' (15) minus the old value of 'b' (10), so 'b' is now 5.

Question 31: A bag contains 4 red, 3 blue, and 5 green marbles. If one marble is picked at random, what is the probability it is blue?

1/4
1/3
3/4
3/12 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 3/12

There are 3 blue marbles out of 4+3+5=12 total, so probability = 3/12.

Question 32: On a number line, which point is between −3 and −1?

1
−2 (Correct answer)
0
−4

Correct answer: −2

−2 lies between −3 and −1 on the number line.

Question 33: What does a colon (:) most commonly introduce in a sentence?

A question
A list or detailed explanation (Correct answer)
A pause between two sentences
Possession or ownership

Correct answer: A list or detailed explanation

A colon is used to introduce a list, an explanation, or additional information that follows.

Question 34: Which layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation?

Troposphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Stratosphere (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Stratosphere

The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere, approximately 15–35 km above Earth's surface.

Question 35: A persuasive technique that uses fear to convince the audience is called:

Bandwagon appeal
Loaded language
Appeal to authority
Fear appeal (scare tactics) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Fear appeal (scare tactics)

Fear appeals use threats or warnings about negative consequences to persuade the audience to adopt a particular view or behavior.

Question 36: Which organizational structure is MOST effective for a persuasive essay that addresses counterarguments?

Chronological order
Spatial order
Problem-solution with rebuttal (Correct answer)
Stream of consciousness

Correct answer: Problem-solution with rebuttal

A problem-solution structure with rebuttal acknowledges opposing views and refutes them, strengthening the writer's credibility.

Question 37: The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2(l + w), where l is the length and w is the width. A rectangular garden has a perimeter of 30 meters and a length of 9 meters. What is its width?

6 meters (Correct answer)
12 meters
15 meters
21 meters

Correct answer: 6 meters

We are given the formula P = 2(l + w) and the values P = 30 and l = 9. We need to find w. Substitute the known values into the formula: 30 = 2(9 + w). First, divide both sides by 2: 30 / 2 = 9 + w, which simplifies to 15 = 9 + w. To find w, subtract 9 from both sides: 15 - 9 = w. This gives w = 6 meters.

Question 38: Which sentence uses the word 'affect' correctly?

The rain will affect our plans. (Correct answer)
The medication had no affect.
The rain will have an affect on us.
What affect did the news have?

Correct answer: The rain will affect our plans.

'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is the noun form.

Question 39: What is the hexadecimal equivalent of the decimal number 16?

10 (Correct answer)
F
1A
G

Correct answer: 10

Decimal 16 equals hexadecimal 10, because hex 10 means 1×16 + 0 = 16.

Question 40: Which narrative point of view gives the reader access to the thoughts and feelings of ALL characters?

Third person omniscient (Correct answer)
First person
Third person limited
Second person

Correct answer: Third person omniscient

Third person omniscient narrators know and can reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of every character in the story.

ICAS Assessment

The ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is an academic competition developed by UNSW Global that evaluates students across English, Mathematics, Science, Digital Technologies, and Writing through higher-order thinking questions.

Questions

60 min

Time Limit

50%

To Pass

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